Attitudes of New Police Recruits Concerning Domestic Violence: A Pre- and Post-Test Design

• NCJ Number: 137663
• Author(s): J M Sgarzi
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 263 pages
• Publication Format: Dissertation/Thesis
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of the Boston College Department of Developmental Psychology.

Annotation

This study examined whether or not, after training, police recruits would change their attitudes about domestic violence.

Abstract

The study used two instruments that had been validated for attitudes on domestic violence and attitudes about women; a pretest and posttest design was used to assess the effects of training in the police recruit groups. The study samples consisted of all 43 new police recruits who participated in the training program in Needham, Mass. from February 9, 1990 to June 8, 1990 and all 19 new police recruits who participated in the training program in Worcester, Mass. from May 7, 1990 to June 8, 1990. A total of 177 in-field police officers were used in the study for comparison purposes. The study hypothesized that there would be no difference in attitudes of new police recruits about domestic violence after training; this hypothesis was supported by the data. The study also hypothesized that there would be no difference in recruit's attitudes after training and in-field officers' attitudes about domestic violence; this hypothesis was supported as well. One significant finding that related to demographic correlates with attitudes was that female in-field officers were less stereotypical than their male counterparts in attitudes toward domestic violence. 9 tables and a 110-item bibliography